The Digiday Podcast The Summer Things Turned Messy
Sep 2, 2025
Sara Jerde, Managing Editor at Digiday, breaks down a chaotic summer in media and marketing. She discusses the rise of AI competitors and how they're challenging traditional advertising channels. The conversation also touches on Google's looming antitrust trials and the significance of tariffs on the back-to-school season. Jerde highlights the shift back to TV bundles in streaming services and the ongoing negotiation struggles for publishers, revealing the intricate changes shaping the industry's landscape.
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A Messy Summer Sets Up Messy Fall
- The summer was defined by many simultaneous disruptions across streaming, AI, agency leadership, and tariffs.
- Those shifts feel like setup for an even messier fall and Q4 according to the hosts.
Streaming Rebundling Reverses Unbundling
- Major media companies remade streaming this summer with mergers, splits, and re-bundling moves.
- These shifts push streaming back toward aggregator-style bundles that resemble traditional pay TV.
A Loyal Ad-Free Streamer
- Sara Jerde described her personal streaming mix: HBO, Netflix, and shared Hulu, and prefers ad-free viewing.
- She noted kids already find ads annoying, underscoring younger viewers' ad aversion.